Municipalities incorporate because of it, like Marco Island, Bonita Springs and Estero did. Some municipalities then form police departments to increase the presence of law enforcement officers, but at a higher cost to taxpayers, as Marco Island did.

Bonita Springs and Estero didn’t create their own police departments, however. They instead chose to buy some city-like services from county government through negotiated contracts, including law enforcement from the sheriff, to keep taxes lower.

Following a Collier County Commission 4-1 vote Tuesday to grant Marco a certificate to start its own ambulance service, island voters now face that home rule choice Aug. 28. Do they spend far more tax money to set up their own ambulance service in the name of home rule? Or do they spend far less tax money to still achieve the goal of getting a second full-time ambulance stationed on the island that Collier Emergency Medical Services (EMS) could supply?

That’s up to voters, as it should be. The bottom-line question: How much tax money is home rule worth when it comes to getting an ambulance to an emergency?

An April analysis by a Marco consultant says the first-year cost of setting up a city ambulance service is $1.73 million plus $387,000 for vehicles and equipment. County advisers say those figures are significantly underestimated.

Collier’s EMS chief told commissioners the county could deliver the vehicles, equipment and services the city proposes for $550,000 or less. Marco’s fire chief has suggested the county’s figures are significantly underestimated.

To offset costs, the consultant estimates the city would receive about $714,000 in first-year income from ambulance bills paid by island patients. Even factoring in that revenue, Marco taxpayers will pay much more to have a city ambulance service. That’s why the Aug. 28 referendum tells islanders they’ll be charged an extra $100 in annual taxes per $500,000 of assessed property value.

Those owning property on the island, but not a Marco registered voter, will be taxed without any say. Unfortunately, that’s many seasonal residents, landlords and business operators.

Commission vote

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Tuesday’s commission vote to grant the ambulance certificate attached the condition that Marco leaders can’t ask county government to reimburse any city property tax money paid in support of countywide EMS.

Theoretically, Marco could have asked commissioners for tax relief on their countywide property tax bill to offset the increase in city tax bills if the fire department provides island ambulances.

Until Tuesday’s vote, Marco had the option under a 2018 legislative bill to instead get the ambulance certificate through the state. However, the approved bill’s wording and a legislative staff analysis say Marco can only ask the state for the certificate if the city can’t get one from commissioners. Now commissioners have granted Marco the certificate.

We see nothing in the legislation precluding commissioners from attaching any lawful conditions they desire to the approved certificate. We, therefore, suggest commissioners reconsider one recommended condition they didn’t include — Marco must remain under the uniform direction and operation of the county’s medical director, as is the rest of Collier.

We’d contend Tuesday’s approval means the door has closed if Marco Islanders had hoped to reduce the cost of starting their own ambulance service by getting some money back from the county budget. Instead, they’ll continue paying for countywide EMS as they have been plus more in taxes to start their own city ambulance service.

It really comes down to this: If you’re a taxpaying Marco voter, how much are the words “home rule” worth to you in property taxes?